Karnataka’s IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge announced that three Bengaluru-based startups have developed groundbreaking technologies with the backing of the Semiconductor Fabless Accelerator Lab (SFAL), a state-funded center of excellence for fabless semiconductors.
Calligo Technologies has created a POSIT-enabled semiconductor chip aimed at enhancing performance and accuracy in critical mathematical computations. This technology, which promises improved accuracy, network bandwidth, and storage utilization while reducing power consumption, is expected to set new standards in computing. It has potential applications in stock exchange computations, medical drug research, and artificial intelligence. Calligo Technologies plans to showcase an accelerator card based on this chip at the Supercomputing Conference (SC’24) in the US later this year.
Morphing Machines, another startup supported by SFAL, has developed “Redefine,” a reconfigurable processor designed to handle emerging workloads in sectors such as telecom, AI/ML, healthcare, and high-performance computing. Redefine is India’s first processor of its kind and has received $2.76 million in seed funding from Speciale Invest.
AB Circuits and Research Labs (ABCRL) has introduced “TireSynapse,” the industry’s first tire monitoring ASIC with integrated Bluetooth, which offers advanced features such as tire wear prediction, road condition detection, load monitoring, and wheel alignment measurement. ABCRL is close to achieving a major milestone with plans to release its first chip soon, marking a significant step towards becoming a leading provider of smart automotive electronics.
SFAL has been instrumental in fostering the growth of fabless semiconductor startups in Karnataka, incubating 43 startups and supporting over 200 innovations, while creating 800 high-skill jobs. Kharge emphasized that Karnataka leads in semiconductor innovation due to its significant pool of design talent, with 70% of India’s semiconductor design talent based in the state.
In addition, SFAL-supported companies have raised Rs 114 crore, achieving a combined valuation of Rs 500 crore. Kharge highlighted that India’s electronics market is expected to reach $400 billion within a year, with semiconductors alone accounting for $64 billion. Jitendra Chaddah, India head of GlobalFoundries, added that many SFAL-backed firms are successfully developing products for global and local markets and are attracting venture capital investments.